April 24, 2008

Jarred Rensvold Awarded NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship; Only GNAC Athlete Selected During Fall

BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana State Billings cross country standout Jarred Rensvold has been awarded a postgraduate scholarship through the NCAA.  Rensvold was one of 29 male student-athletes who participated in a fall sport, which included cross country, football, soccer and water polo, to receive the $7,500 scholarship.

Rensvold became the third Yellowjacket to win the award in school history.  Former basketball standout Jonathan Wiley won it in the winter of 2006-2007 and Margo Merrill-Johnson won it in the fall for women’s soccer in 2004-05.  He is the only Great Northwest Athletic Conference athlete to win the award in the fall.

Of the 29 winners, only two winners were from Division II including Rensvold.  In addition, 12 of the 29 were not from Division I. 

Rensvold, a native of Wolf Point, Mont., carries a 3.96 grade-point average in biology and was named to the GNAC cross country academic all-conference team in the fall.  He finished 93^rd at the NCAA Region Championships with a time of 34:14 in the 10k run.

To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent, and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated.  The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics.  The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student. 

Nomination information is sent to faculty athletic representatives for fall sports in September, for winter sports in January and for spring sports in March.  Selections are made three times a year.  Candidates are screened by seven regional selection committees and the award recipients are selected by the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee.